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Monday, October 31, 2016

Brunei - Ending childhood obesity

TAKE a
look around, what you will see is what has seemingly become the new normal
among children. It is alarming that in Brunei Darussalam, one out of two
children from the age of five are either overweight or obese (a more severe
form of overweight).

From 2008
to 2014, obesity among school children in Brunei Darussalam increased from 12
per cent to 18 per cent. This means that obesity rises by one per cent every
year! If this issue is unresolved every single child in Brunei could potentially
be obese in the near future.

Why is
this of concern to us? As a result of obesity it is entirely possible that our
children may have a shorter lifespan than their parents.

This is
why the theme for World Obesity Day which is commemorated on October 11 every
year, is ‘Ending Childhood Obesity’.

In Brunei
Darussalam, obese children are increasingly being diagnosed with a range of
health conditions that are mostly seen only in adults.

Some
examples of this include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep
disorders such as having difficulty breathing while sleeping (sleep apnea).

It is
also worrying that some children have even died at a very young age from heart
attacks.

The
problems of childhood obesity are not just limited to physical illnesses but
may affect their emotional and mental wellbeing.

Overweight
and obese children are more likely to be bullied, feel socially isolated, have
a high risk of depression and may experience high stress and anxiety levels.

Unfortunately,
obesity in children and youth do not go away as they grow older. In fact, most
people continue to gain weight as they age and obese children become obese
adults.

Knowing
that 62 per cent of adults in Brunei Darussalam are overweight and obese, this
is a problem that we cannot ignore.

We should
encourage our children to care about what they eat and how to treat their
bodies well such as not eating a lot of sugar and being more active.

Being
involved in fun exercise will uplift moods and eating healthily can make them
grow into a healthy adult.

In Brunei
Darussalam, fewer than five per cent of children eat the recommended serving of
five portions of fruits and vegetables a day. It also found that 40 per cent of
children aged five to nine drink sugar-sweetened beverages or soft drinks
everyday and at the same time eating a lot of fast food.

Children
should learn how important fruits and vegetables are to their growth and health
in the long term. It is also crucial for them to understand that water is
better to quench their thirst than sugary drinks.

We need
to do something about this situation urgently. Unfortunately, for those seeking
a magic pill, no single intervention can cure this.

Obesity
prevention and treatment requires a whole-of-nation approach in which policies
across all sectors take health into account – a “Health in All Policies”
approach.

Thankfully,
in Brunei Darussalam, we are beginning to see the first signs of change. Head
down to Tasek Lama in Bandar Seri Begawan on a late afternoon to see it filled
with families hiking and walking together.

Even the
street food vendors are increasingly aware of reducing sugar in drinks, and
more and more people are asking for healthy options in restaurants and
supermarkets. Instead of obesity, we want to change the conversation and make
being healthy normal again.

Health is
everyone’s business and every individual needs to take responsibility for their
own health and wellbeing.

Parents
in particular have a crucial role to play here as children follow their
parents’ behaviour. If parents are eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and
vegetables, drinking water rather than sweetened beverages and exercising
regularly then children will be encouraged to do the same.

Any
individual intervention for an obese or overweight child will not work without
the full support of the family including parents, grandparents and caregivers.

Today, on
World Obesity Day, no matter what your weight or where you are at your journey,
promise yourself one action that you and your family can take to live healthier
lives for the year.

Make sure
that you can measure this action and tell others what your health goal for the
year is. This could simply be walking 10,000 steps a day, or cutting out sugary
drinks from your diet. It could be replacing dessert with a piece of fruit.

Encourage
others to do the same. No matter who you are, or how much time you have, let us
all do our own part and together we can build a healthier Brunei Darussalam.

Message
by the Minister of Health, Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji
Hanafi on the occasion of World Obesity Day 2016